Handbook home
Comparative Health Law and Policy (LAWS90057)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
November
Lecturer
Mary Anne Bobsinski (Coordinator)
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | November |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides an opportunity to learn about how different societies grapple with common challenges in health care systems and to consider whether and how these comparisons can be helpful in guiding change within a particular system. While human biology may be the same worldwide, the economic, social, and ethical aspects of health care are reflected through the prism of each society’s culture, history and political framework. The legal responses to these economic, social and ethical debates therefore can vary from one society to another. In this subject, we will explore comparative approaches to topics ranging from the structure and financing of the health care system to legal aspects of reproduction and death. The readings include a diverse range of sources, from traditional law cases and statutes to excerpts from popular news accounts, medical journals, and social science articles. While referencing Australian approaches, we will use Canada and the U.S. as the base for comparison and will explore the approaches adopted in other countries as well. Students will have an opportunity to discuss and debate both the uses of comparative health law in policy development and the policies themselves.
Principal topics will include comparative approaches to health law and policy rules in areas such as:
- The right to health and health care financing
- Regulation and/or licensing of health care professionals
- AI in health care
- Quality of care
- Contraception, abortion and sterilisation
- Foetal conflicts
- Assisted reproduction, including the implications of advances in genetics
- Consent to or refusal of care, including cases involving death and dying
- Public health law, including post-COVID pandemic challenges
Intended learning outcomes
Students successfully completing this subject will be able to demonstrate:
- Discuss and debate some of the key issues and debates in health law and policy in selected jurisdictions, including recent developments and emerging issues in areas ranging from health care finance to bioethics;
- Critically interpret and assess the effectiveness of these laws and policies;
- Analyse the variations and major approaches to significant and contested health law and policy topics;
- Independently examine, research and analyse comparative health law approaches with an advanced critical understanding of the benefits and limitations of comparative analyses;
- Appraise the factors and processes driving health care law reform and the use of comparative health law analyses;
- Present a comparative health law analysis and debate the risks and benefits of a comparative approach to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Generic skills
- An advanced and integrated understanding of the range of health law-related court decisions, legislation and policies governing some of the key issues in selected countries, including recent developments in this field of law and practice.
- An advanced understanding of the techniques of comparative legal analyses along with a critical perspective regarding the risks and benefits of comparative approaches in health law and policy.
Last updated: 16 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:
- The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
- The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
- The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
- The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.
Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.
Last updated: 16 April 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Class Participation | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Option 1: Take-home examination
| 17 - 20 January 2025 | 90% |
Option 2: Research Paper
| 15 January 2025 | 90% |
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.
Last updated: 16 April 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- November
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 9 October 2024 Pre teaching requirements Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS during the pre-teaching period. Teaching period 6 November 2024 to 12 November 2024 Last self-enrol date 14 October 2024 Census date 7 November 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 December 2024 Assessment period ends 20 January 2025 November contact information
Lecturer
Mary Anne Bobsinski (Coordinator)
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 16 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available free of charge from Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Laws Course Master of Law and Development Course Juris Doctor Course Master of Health and Medical Law Course Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Law - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-masters@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 16 April 2024